Gabriel Bortoleto, driver for the Audi F1 Team, has been self-critical following an accident during qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix, which has caused him to miss any chance of scoring points.
With Audi’s power deficit not as detrimental at the Monaco circuit as in other places, this weekend had presented itself as a good opportunity for the team to add a modest total of two points.
Both Bortoleto and his veteran teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, finished all three practice sessions in the top 10, hinting at what was possible in both qualifying and the race.
After completing a lap sufficient to advance to Q2, Bortoleto hit the inner barrier at the entrance of the Nouvelle Chicane almost at the end of Q1, stopping with a broken left front suspension and causing a red flag.
Although Bortoleto acknowledged it was an unfortunate incident, he did not want to make excuses and took full responsibility for not leaving any margin of safety.
“It was a very slight touch, but it’s not even about the touch,” said the 21-year-old driver. “It’s about why I have to take so many risks in that corner, where we’ve seen other drivers break suspension in the past. I would understand it if it happened in a Q2 or Q3 lap, when we are trying to reach the limit. But in a Q1 lap, I consider that this has been a mistake I usually don’t make. I need to reanalyze it and understand why I pushed so hard so early during qualifying.”
Bortoleto acknowledged that he should have left a greater margin of safety, as the car was capable of easily advancing to Q1. “I mean, we could have been fighting for points. It’s disappointing to know that we could have competed at the front, as right now we have only selected circuits where we can do so and Monaco was one of them,” he added.
Hulkenberg, for his part, was in the midst of a tight battle among four cars for a place in Q3, a spot won by the cheerful Alpine driver Pierre Gasly. Audi confirmed that they could have been close to a top 10 finish, which would have been a good opportunity to score points in the race. This situation has increased Bortoleto’s frustration over the error during qualifying. “The pace was there,” he acknowledged. “It’s just disappointing to know that we could have been fighting for points. Monaco is a special track, so I wanted to do a good job for the team. It’s hard for me to move on, as I see how hard they work. I am very demanding of myself, because I am also demanding of them when things don’t go well.”
“It’s all a shame because I wasn’t able to provide what the team deserved,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
